Warning: contains spoilers for Shadowman #5!
When readers last saw Valiant’s Shadowman, he learned the Deadside was trying to take over the world of the living, and this war heats up in Shadowman #5, on sale now in print and digital. The first part of “The Deadside War,” this story finds Shadowman in a precarious position as he attempts to avert war while embracing a new mission, one that might just keep the peace—or make matters worse.
Shadowman is one of Valiant’s legacy characters, having been a part of every incarnation of their universe. When the character was revived in the company’s 2012 relaunch, he leaned further than ever into the Voodoo lore the character was steeped in. In his civilian guise as Jack Boniface, he is a jazz saxophonist living in New Orleans, but by night he is Shadowman, a dark crusader fighting to keep the world of the dead from invading the world of the living. The Deadside, a realm between worlds, where the souls of the newly deceased go before their final reward, is slowly making inroads into our reality, and Shadowman recently learned of its true nature. At the same time, Shadowman is on a new mission, to find common ground between the two worlds. It is a mission that may be doomed to fail, as seen in Shadowman #5. The issue is written by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Pedro Andreo, colored by Jordie Bellaire and lettered by Clayton Cowles.
The issue opens on a horrifying, and disturbing note, as a young boy believes he is talking to his recently deceased mother. In reality, she has been reanimated by the Deadside. Meanwhile, Shadowman meets the new Abettors, who will aide him on his quest. Before introductions can be made, Shadowman is pressed into service, to fight back the creatures of the Deadside that have entered our world. He enters that realm, hoping to negotiate peace, but there are those on all sides who feel he is doomed to fail in his new mission, and that peace is just a pipe dream.
At its core, Shadowman is a horror book, and never once does Bunn and Andreo forget this. The Deadside is an insidious force, slowly trying to infiltrate our reality and its opening salvo in this issue, preying on the grief of a young boy, is truly horrifying. Shadowman sees what is happening and wants to stop it. However, he has chosen a path of peace, which puts him at odds with not only his allies but his enemies as well. There is a sense that he will not succeed at his mission, and that war is on the horizon. Bunn’s script keeps the horror front and center and Andreo’s art perfectly captures the dark world Shadowman lives in.
“The Deadside War” continues to escalate, and the next issue will see fan-favorite character Punk Mambo join forces with Shadowman, setting the stage for what promises to be one of Valiant’s biggest events yet.